The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-03
THE NEGRO IN NEW YORK.
He Makes Good Citizen and Advances in the
Ways of Business and Society.

good look at her face. Only fe IS ago on
could pick out the son ambulance TX. the cas-
gait the careless carriage and athletic figure o
daughter of Africa from almost any distance
Her great ambition seemed to be TO combine al
the colors of the rainbow in one bewildering AND
devastating combination. Yellow skirts. greer
waists, red peckerchiefs, bronze shoes and the
other cardinal colors distributed through wraps
parasos and bonnets were to be seen at one
and the time as they were conveyed
along the street by figures that may
have been less graceful but
were never distinctly fashionable. Except in
the new arrivals from the far South, this gaud-
mess has entirely disappeared. Colored women
now dress in dark colors or in deep erays. the
object being apparently to make the contrast
between the clothes and the skin Of the wearer
as inconspicuous as possible Very few New
Yorkers-to say nothing Of the outside public
| have any idea of the substantial Advancement
| which the colored race has made in this city
| within the past few years. Many colored men
| hold positions that are lucrative ana honorable
| to high degree. Not few are valuable clerks
| and trusted messengers in banks and big COM
| mercial houses. The solid mon OF the race are
| those who have built up various business inter-
| l know of q man who an elevator in
bachelors apartment house. on upper Fifth ave-
| nue., ten years ago. at monthly salary OF 80
| There restaurant in tho house, and the
| elevator man began to furnish breakfasts to one
| or two of the men who occupied suites of rooms
| where he worked. He had just married comedy
| young woman who had been well educated as
| cook in private family. Within year after
| he had started in this enterprise he was serving
| sixteen eighteen breakfasts every morning at
| rs cents apiece. He moved into the neighbor-
hood, got up at o'clock in tho morning, SO as to
| select his own steaks and chops at the market,
| and extended his ciientage to another big apart
| ment house across the way. He built up
catering business which has steadily grown ever
since. There is doubt that he clears 81. 900 or
is quite respectful in demeanor, has
correct business methods, and lives
as weli as most mlillonaires tie has quiet
little house West Twenty street.
where he and his wife and children reside; there
are three servants. snd he has reduced his bust
ness hours from in the morning until 5 in the
afternoon. His clothes are made by fashionable
tailors, and he is in every way counterpart OF
the average successful business man. except that
his skin is black. His word is good as his.
bond. and his bond is worth 100 cents on the
dollar.
Colored men beginning to think out the
problems Of their race and any man who will
talk for half an hour with such leaders of their
peonle as Thomas Fortune or Consul Williams
will have new ideas of the capabilities of the
men who have sprung from race OF slaves.
New York seldom SEES the negro except IN his
working clothes.
The better element of the race does not parade
Fifth avenue of an afternoon or force its way
into the theaters. They have distinct world
of their own! Last October I met a local poll
tician who was candidate for a judceship
the west side of town. A great many negroes
lived in his district, and, as [ had heard him
speak very often and very eloquently of their
polish, refinement, and general advancement in
Intelligence and knowledge. l went over with
him to listen to an address from q committee
that had been appointed to make him present
of goldheaded cane. The locality was West
Washington square, and the place the Sunday |
school room of church made famous by the |
preaching OF noted colored divine, DR.. Henry |
after he had been sent there American |
Minister. When arrived at the hall |
it was about o'clock. There were forty or fifty
colored men in the room chatting amiably and |
quietly in groups. There was an absence of TO-
bacco smoke and the old-time political spitoon.
We were the only white men there The colored
mon were strong. straight and athletic looking.
They held their heads well in tho air, looked
man straight in the eye when they talked to
No man wore ths cast off clothes of another 1t
is, l am told, the first rule among the colored
men nowadays. when they succeed in getting
above the position of servitude to have their
clothes made for them by more or less fashion
able tailors 1t is easy to see the idea
that underlies such sentiment They
merchants. Their linen was snowy and their
boots polished but what struck me most the
air OF quiet dignity that was visible in all of
them. There was no stiffness formality, but
the men seemed to have the repose that nearly
always comes of successful endeayor at ad-
in life. If the self-made man all
over the world has any one distinguishing char
acteristc it Is the air of confidence which he
has in himself. After we had heen IN the hall
shaken |
hands with nearly every man in the place, one
of a group of five or six clergymen among the
negroes stepped forward with cane in his gloved
hand and made a little speech, while the others
stood in a respectful group behind him. 1t was
not the conventional presentation speech beyond
the first four or five sentences. The natural elo-
quence OF the man got the better of the con-
and the fact that he was among
the aristocrats of his race probably had much to
ornate as that OF college president and when
be switched from the subject of the present to
that OF the struggle which his race was making |
against pre- udice cant, hypocrisy and the tradi-
made every man in the room partisan. / shall |
never forget that speech. The man was of 1.-THE
buid, square shouldered, with deep chest and |
massive head. His voice reverberated through |
the room, and he swung his arms with grace
that no study could ever mpart Every move
ment WAS result OF the strong feeling that al
most carried the speaker away and which had
3 pronounced effect upon his hearers. There
were half a dozen speeches made after that, and
they compared favorably with any public speak |
ing that have ever heard among politicians of
all grades in legislative bodies and at election
meetings.
Less than a month ago I was chatting with a |
man who has extensive real interests He
.old me that he had just had letter from the |
anitor of O big Office building downtown who |
Was anxious to sell his residence, as he was going
20 move MP in Harlem. The house was in West
twenty street. and walked over to
1ess The windows were polished to . degree |
hat would have made Q Philadslphis Housewife !
,nvious, and there was air Of spick and-span T.
1ewness about the place that denoted the bost |
IF care. The asking price was $4,000. We
.ane the bell, and the door was opened by a |
plump little mulatto girl perhaps twenty years |
II age, who a black gown, and |
white apron, and a snowy cap She had
iwo little pickaninnies pulling at her
krts. One was dressed in sort of Kate
costume. and the other had huge
5ansborough hat upon his little head and a lit
lie green frock that almost touched the ground
Ind was belted high about the waist It was the
Nurse taking the two children of the family out
or walk. She passed us and led the children
way, and another servant, who also
White apron. showed into the parlor, and
vent up stairs to call 1.-THE missis" The ianitors
wife came down stairs at once. She might have
,een the wife of a millionaire. Her hair was
ressed well on her head she wore a dainty pair
II laSsas and he had Lin j